The present invention relates to a wheel carrier of a vehicle having a clamping-fit connection to a further component. The further component is particularly a suspension strut for connecting the wheel carrier with the vehicle body.
It is basically endeavored to design a vehicle, for example, a passenger car, to be as safe as possible also in the event of an accident, i.e. when the vehicle hits an obstacle (=crash). In order to minimize the risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of such an impact, it should be ensured that the vehicle parts situated in front of the vehicle interior, viewed in the driving direction, such as the vehicle front structure, if possible, will not penetrate into the vehicle interior. With respect to the front wheels of the vehicle, a design of the wheel suspension control arms is known, for example, such that, in the case of a so-called offset impact, the wheel is swiveled laterally to the outside. For this purpose, according to German Patent Document DE 195 42 496 C1, a rear control arm strut can be longitudinally deformed, i.e. shortened, in an energy-absorbing manner.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wheel carrier for a vehicle which, while its production and assembly are cost-effective, permits a safe operation of the vehicle, particularly also in the event of a crash. In particular, an advantageous measure is provided by which a front wheel of the vehicle can be quasi partially loosened in the event of a frontal crash or a rear wheel of a vehicle can be quasi partially loosened in the event of a rear crash, so that the wheel can move in a desired manner and will not endanger the occupants.
This and other objects are achieved according to the invention by a wheel carrier of a vehicle, particularly a motor vehicle. The wheel carrier has a clamping-fit connection. By way of this clamping-fit connection, the wheel carrier can be connected with an additional component. In particular, this additional component is a suspension strut or the like. The wheel carrier comprises a screwed connection with a screw for clamping the clamping-fit connection. A hole, in which the screw is disposed, is provided for this purpose. The screw is either screwed into a thread in the hole, or a nut or the like is provided at the end of the screw. By way of the clamping-fit connection, the additional component, particularly the suspension strut, can be clamped in by tightening the screwed connection.
Furthermore, a lever is provided. The lever has a fastening section and an impact section. The lever is fastened to a clamping-fit connection by way of the fastening section. A through-hole is, for example, provided in the fastening section. The screw of the screwed connection projects through this screw hole. The fastening section of the lever is thereby clamped in under the screw head or the nut of the screwed connection. The impact section projects from the fastening section. A deformation of the vehicle occurs in the event of a crash. The impact section is arranged such that a component of the deforming vehicle will impact on the impact section and thereby applies a force to the impact section. As a result of the effect of this force upon the impact section, the lever causes a force upon the screw. As a result, the screw is at least partially loosened, whereby the clamping-fit is also loosened. As a result of the loosened clamping-fit connection, the wheel carrier can move with respect to the additional component, particularly the suspension strut. It then becomes possible that the wheel situated on the wheel carrier carries out a desirable motion during the crash.
At least one taper or recess of material is provided in the wheel carrier material surrounding the hole. When force acts upon the lever, this taper or recess of material permits an easy breaking-out of the screw from the hole. Without this taper or recess of material, the force required for the at least partial loosening of the screw would be relatively high and would not be reliably repeatable. Furthermore, the lever would have to be very massive. As a result of the use of material taper or recess according to the invention, the lever should not destroy the screw during the crash, but the material surrounding the hole will break open. The screw can thereby at least partially be laterally levered out of the hole. As a result, the lever does not have to have an overly massive design and the loosening of the clamping-fit connection during the crash can be made to be repeatable and reliable with respect to the process. Furthermore, by use of the levering-out of the screw, the clamping of the clamping-fit connection is actively canceled.
Advantageously, the taper or recess of material is shaped to be sufficiently large in order to ensure a reliable breaking-open of the hole and thus a levering-out of the screw. For this purpose, it is preferably provided that the taper and recess of the material extends over at least 10%, preferably at least 20%, of the length of the hole.
The material recess is advantageously formed as a complete breakthrough in the material surrounding the hole. As a result of the formation of the breakthrough, the surface of the screw in the hole is exposed at least in places. Such a recess of material as a complete breakthrough is easy to produce and permits a reliable and repeatable breaking-out of the screw.
The clamping-fit connection is advantageously designed as a clamp. This clamp is an integral component of the wheel carrier. The clamp normally has a slot. This slot divides the hole, in which the screw is situated, into a first hole section and a second hole section. During the tightening of the screwed connection, the width of the slot will be reduced, which causes clamping of the clamping-fit connection. The lever structure is advantageously fastened to an outer end of the first hole section.
The corresponding fastening of the lever to the first hole section advantageously forms the taper or recess of material provided according to the invention at the material surrounding the first hole section.
Particularly preferably, the recess of material is a longitudinal slot at the first hole section. This longitudinal slot is shaped as a complete breakthrough, so that the surface of the screw will be exposed at the longitudinal slot.
Particularly preferably, the longitudinal slot extends over at least 80%, advantageously over at least 90%, of the length of the first hole section. Particularly preferably, the longitudinal slot is formed over 100%, therefore over the entire first hole section. The use of this longitudinal slot permits a correspondingly simple levering of the screw out of the first hole section. In this case, no recess or taper of material is provided particularly in the area of the second hole section, so that, during the levering-out of the screw, the screws remains firmly in the second hole section. This causes not only a loosening of the screw from the first hole section but simultaneously also a levering-open of the entire clamp.
The invention advantageously includes a vehicle, particularly a motor vehicle, having a vehicle body and at least one above-described wheel carrier. The component, which is fastened in the clamping-fit connection, connects the wheel carrier with the vehicle body. Correspondingly, the component is advantageously constructed as a suspension strut or the like.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.